10 Best Games Like Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a landmark game in the indie scene, garnering tens of millions of sales and establishing the cozy farming sim as a beloved sub-genre. Naturally, considering its huge success, people have already played it extensively, putting in hundreds if not thousands of hours into their customizable farms. Fortunately, Stardew Valley inspired a plethora of new farming life sims, many of which either capture what made it great or, on a rare occasion, exceed it.
Many of these cozy games are some of the best indie games ever made, meaning they're worth playing regardless of whether they manage to achieve Stardew Valley's level of brilliance or come just shy of it. From offering magical twists on a familiar farming formula to completely reinventing it, these life sims are the very best games to play for those who love Stardew Valley.
10 Echoes of the Plum Grove (Unwound Games)
Stardew Valley With Consequences
Echoes of the Plum Grove is a combination of the very best parts of Don't Starve mixed with the best bits of Stardew Valley. Players live in Honeywood, a small town on an island packed with interesting villagers, mysteries to uncover, and crops to plant. There's the typical farming sim gameplay akin to Stardew Valley, in which players can grow and harvest crops, tend to various animals, and invest in better tools. However, beyond that, players must also prepare for the harsh winters, as should they fail to do so, they and the entire island could be at stake.
Players can also get married, kill other villagers, uncover mysteries, befriend the various townsfolk, and more. Importantly, the other villagers can do exactly the same, as they'll marry one another, have children, and ultimately die. This is where Echoes of the Plum Grove truly shines, as it puts a huge emphasis on the consequences of choice. However, while there is a lot to wrap one's head around in Echoes of Plum Grove, it still manages to be one of the best cozy games of 2024, thanks, in large part, to its colorful visuals and general lighthearted tone.
9 Wylde Flowers (Studio Drydock Pty Ltd)
A Magical Life Sim
Wylde Flowers is a magical life sim that manages to blend both learning to become a witch with the cozy farm sim elements of Stardew Valley. However, what helps set it apart is its greater focus on story, as it puts players in the role of Tara, rather than allowing them to create their own protagonist. Wylde Flowers is all about Tara learning about who she is, her journey to become a witch, and her life in her new home.
During the day, Tara can farm, explore the town, and interact with the fully-voiced townspeople. There's the option to romance several characters, as well as befriend the rest, and they're all expertly written to help immerse the player further. However, at night, Tara will train hard to become a witch, including learning spells, flying on her broomstick, brewing potions, and more. Wylde Flowers is the perfect choice for those looking for the best Nintendo Switch cozy games, or for a more narrative-focused Stardew Valley-like.
8 Chef RPG (World 2 Studio)
All About Running A Failing Restaurant
Chef RPG takes everything that makes Stardew Valley so great and makes it all about running a restaurant. Much like how players must revive a failing farm in Stardew Valley, in Chef RPG, it's up to the player to save Le Sequoia, a restaurant in the gorgeous seaside town of White Ash Harbor. Of course, the path to doing so is completely up to the player's discretion, as, with hundreds of recipes to collect, and dozens of people to meet, there are plenty of avenues to becoming the best.
Chef RPG launched into Early Access in 2024, and since then it has grown exponentially, adding many much-needed features and improving existing ones. With a restaurant to run and decorate, a plethora of cooking mini-games, rare ingredients to gather, a town to revitalize, and characters to meet, Chef RPG has all the trappings of an incredible cozy game.
7 Magical Delicacy (Skaule)
A Combat-Free Metroidvania-Lite
Magical Delicacy, unlike most Stardew Valley-likes, is not a top-down farming sim. Instead, it's a Metroidvania-lite in which players take on the role of a witch running a restaurant. Players will take orders from the various townsfolk, gather the correct ingredients, cook the meal in their restaurant, and then deliver it. While Magical Delicacy is, at its heart, a cozy sim, there's a strong focus on following the right recipe and ensuring that everything is perfectly cooked, which makes it a great fit for those looking for something a little more complex.
A big part of Magical Delicacy is gathering the right materials to craft each meal, and to do that, players will need to platform their way through the town of Grat. Of course, throughout their stay, players will unlock new abilities which will help them better navigate the town and unlock new areas. Magical Delicacy retains a lot of the charm and coziness of Stardew Valley while also being the right game for those wanting a cozy game without farming.
6 Spiritfarer (Thunder Lotus Games)
A Game About Looking After Spirits
Spiritfarer is a heartbreaking exploration of life, death, grief, and the ability to move on. It follows Stella, a young girl tasked with helping ferry around spirits as they come to terms with moving on. She'll need to build each of them a place to stay on her ever-expanding ship as well as various stations where she can craft or build things to make their stay as comfortable as possible. However, eventually, she'll need to say goodbye and send the spirit off to the afterlife.
What makes Spiritfarer such an incredible cozy game and a lot like Stardew Valley is how players will build a connection with each and every spirit they help. They're packed full of personality, with every single one of them written beautifully. The stories they tell, the adventures they have with Stella, and their reflections on life are all heartfelt. Of course, there's even the option to give them all a hug, which surely makes Spiritfarer the best cozy game on mobile.
5 Sun Haven (Pixel Sprout Studios)
Stardew Valley With A Magical Twist
Sun Haven takes what makes Stardew Valley great and adds so much more to the experience, making it a staggeringly impressive game that could take players thousands of hours to truly experience everything. It's a far more story-focused farming sim, although one that still retains all the coziness that comes with the genre. Players can tend to their crops which are affected by the four seasons, look after animals both real and fantastical - including werewolves - and romance all the 23 villagers.
What's most impressive about Sun Haven is its approach to towns and combat. It's set across four different towns, each with its own architecture, villagers, and stories to tell. There are also mines filled with enemies and bosses which players can kill using a variety of weapons and abilities. There is so much more to Sun Haven, from fishing to museum-filling, but it is all best experienced with fresh eyes. Offering a completely customizable experience, Sun Haven is the perfect game for those who want a little more game out of their Stardew Valley-likes.
4 Before The Green Moon (Turnfollow)
A Nuanced PS1-Esque Life Sim
Before the Green Moon is a very unique farming life sim in terms of both its setting and its gameplay. Players venture to a small town surrounding a giant elevator that goes to the moon with the intention of buying a ticket for themselves and living up there. Of course, tickets don't come cheap, so they're given a place to stay and a farm to manage in order to earn money. Slowly, but surely, players will integrate themselves into the town, come to grow to love its people, and eventually question whether going to the moon is all that important.
There's a lot about Before the Green Moon that makes it stand out, from its unique PS1-esque visuals to its approach to farming and managing crops. However, what makes it a truly delightful experience are the relationships that are made with the handful of characters who choose to live near the elevator. For those who want a farming life sim with a unique world and approach to storytelling, Before the Green Moon is absolutely the best choice.
3 Disney Dreamlight Valley (Gameloft)
The Closest To A Triple-A Version Of Stardew Valley
Disney Dreamlight Valley has quickly cemented itself as one of the best farming life sims available on the market, thanks in large part to its impressive production values and strong use of its IP. This isn't a simple Disney cash grab, as the characters, lore, and worlds of each of the films it pulls from are lovingly implemented. Every Disney character becomes someone that fans will delight in getting to know, as they all have their own unique personalities that help make Dreamlight Valley become a wonderful place to stay.
From clothing to interior decoration, there is plenty that fans can customize in Disney Dreamlight Valley. Additionally, players will need to visit various islands populated by Disney characters from a certain film and will have to help them complete quests in order to get them to move to Dreamlight Valley. There's a lot that makes it stand out from other cozy games while still maintaining the best parts of the genre and its clear inspirations, all of which make it one of the best Game Pass cozy games.
2 STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town (Marvelous Inc.)
It's Important To Try The Original Experience
Whenever anyone thinks of playing a game akin to Stardew Valley, the first place they should look is its inspiration: Harvest Moon. Any of the original Harvest Moon games from the GBA, GameCube, and DS eras are a great choice, especially as they feature all the elements that makeup Stardew Valley, including farming, relationships, some slightly magical elements, and more. However, for those who want a more modern take, it gets a little complicated.
The creators of the Harvest Moon games split, with one side, Natsume getting to keep the Harvest Moon branding and Marvelous Inc. continuing the series' legacy under the new name of Story of Seasons. The Story of Seasons games are by far the better of the two, especially Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, which is a remake of arguably one of the best Harvest Moon games ever made.
1 Fields Of Mistria (NPC Studio)
The Next Stardew Valley
Fields of Mistria is the new farming life sim indie darling that's taking Steam by storm. It's already sitting at an Overwhelmingly Positive rating, with thousands of reviews proclaiming it as the next Stardew Valley. It is getting all of this praise for a good reason, as its approach to characters, farming, and world design is impeccable. By far, its strongest feature is its many villagers, all of whom are beautifully written and interact with one another in meaningful ways.
In many ways, Fields of Mistria is the closest one can get to playing Stardew Valley again for the first time, especially thanks to its plethora of innovations and new features that help set it apart and often excel where Stardew Valley lags a little. For those who are wanting something almost exactly like Stardew Valley just with enough of a twist that it doesn't feel too similar, Fields of Mistria is the ultimate choice.
Source: Pixel Architect/YouTube, Turnfollow/YouTube
Stardew Valley
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC
- Cross Save
- cross-progression is only available between the PC and mobile versions of the game
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- How Long To Beat
- 53 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1 GB (November 2023)
- Metascore
- 89
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
